STOW

A calmer desktop starts here.

STOW is a Windows desktop utility for keeping running applications quietly out of the way without closing them. It is the successor to Trayify and is currently in a controlled migration from the proven Trayify v0.3.3 runtime.

Current state

• Product name and visual direction: STOW.
• Approved navigation: Apps, Rules, Focus, Insights, Settings; About is separate at the bottom.
• UI/runtime: WPF on modern .NET; Electron is not used for UI.
• Apps, Rules, Focus, Insights, Settings and About now have operational runtime-backed slices, including saved Focus presets, recurring local-time Focus schedules, Minimize/Focus/Startup rules, opt-in scheduled-Focus tray notifications, and persistent accessibility preferences.
• Existing minimize-to-tray engine: Trayify v0.3.3 behavior remains the protected compatibility baseline.
• Per-user installer migration, unsigned Preview releases and the GitHub self-updater are validated end to end.
• Stable Authenticode signing and final package-manager publication remain gated.

The baseline source commit is c4ab75082d1f7ecbeee32270cc01eea457a93276. See docs/architecture/BASELINE_CONTRACT.md before changing window-management behavior.

Repository layout

• src/STOW.App — new WPF presentation shell.
• src/STOW.Engine — product contracts, rules, settings and runtime state models.
• src/STOW.Platform.Windows — Win32/window/tray implementation boundary.
• src/STOW.Infrastructure — config, migration, updates, diagnostics and logging.
• tests — regression and integration test projects plus the required test plan.
• src/Trayify.cs / src/TrayifySetup.cs — current v0.3.3 compatibility baseline during migration.

Design direction

STOW uses a calm navy/blue system with restrained teal accents, Light + Dark themes and Windows 11-inspired spacing/surfaces. The approved handoff images remain the visual source of truth. See docs/design-system/DESIGN_SYSTEM_V1.md.

Build

New STOW foundation:

dotnet build STOW.slnx -c Release

Self-contained preview + installer package:

powershell -ExecutionPolicy Bypass -File scripts\build-stow.ps1

Signed release package (requires a valid Code Signing certificate and Windows SDK Signing Tools):

$env:STOW_SIGNING_CERT_THUMBPRINT = '<thumbprint>'
powershell -ExecutionPolicy Bypass -File scripts\build-stow.ps1 -Sign

Silent install/upgrade:

STOWSetup.exe /VERYSILENT /NOLAUNCH /ACCEPTLICENSES=1

For a first-time silent install, /ACCEPTLICENSES=1 records explicit acceptance of STOW's MIT License and the applicable bundled third-party terms. Existing installed copies can upgrade silently without repeating that flag. STOW also checks the current legal-terms revision on application startup, so portable/package-manager installs and upgrades from older builds receive the same one-time acknowledgment flow.

Silent uninstall (settings retained by default):

%LOCALAPPDATA%\STOW\Uninstall.exe /UNINSTALL /VERYSILENT

Untouched Trayify v0.3.3 compatibility baseline:

powershell -ExecutionPolicy Bypass -File scripts\build.ps1

Migration rule

Do not rewrite the working minimize-to-tray engine merely to fit the new UI architecture. Extract behind interfaces, prove regression parity, then refactor only when a test demonstrates preserved behavior. See docs/migration/TRAYIFY_TO_STOW.md.

License, privacy and third-party terms

STOW's own source code is MIT licensed. See LICENSE.

Self-contained Windows builds redistribute Microsoft .NET/WPF components under their applicable terms. Release packages include the exact runtime-pack licenses/notices, Windows-specific Microsoft license references, credits and a machine-generated LEGAL_MANIFEST.txt.

See:

• Third-party notices
• Credits and attributions
• Privacy
• Security
• Accessibility
• Visual system
• Legal/release compliance checklist

Release builds are checked with:

powershell -ExecutionPolicy Bypass -File scripts\verify-release-legal.ps1